CraftsVilla acquires logistics provider Sendd for $4.5 million

CraftsVilla, an online marketplace for Indian products, has acquired the on-demand shipping service provider Sendd for $4.5 million, reports iamwire. Post acquisition, Sendd will continue to operate independently and offer its services to other firms as well. Craftsvilla mentions that it will use the acquisition to strengthen its logistics capabilities.

Founded in April last year, Sendd allows businesses to send parcels to 20,000 pin codes across India. It provides packaging, branding and insurance policies for parcels and provides an API for partner integration. The company also claims to provide reverse pickups and international shipments across all countries.

CraftsVilla funding: In November last year, CraftsVilla raised Series C funding worth ~$33.3 million, after the company raised Series B funding worth $18 million in April the same year. At the time the company mentioned that it planned to expand to other countries in southeast Asia. It had also raised $1.5 million Series A funding back in July 2012. However, while CraftsVilla ships products all over the world, it’s not clear if the company has yet begun sourcing goods from countries outside India.

Craftsvilla was founded by Manoj Gupta and Monica Gupta in 2011. It takes a 20% commission on the products sold, however, it is not clear if the company does this on per item or per order, which might include many items. The company claims to have 25,000 sellers on its platform, along with 3.5 million sold products.

Consolidation in logistics: Last year saw a consolidation in logistics services with various companies getting acquired or invested in by business customers or competitors.

– In December last year, Mumbai based Parsel, a logistics company, acquired Accord Ecom Solutions, a third party logistics provider for an undisclosed amount.